When Gateshead drew 1-1 at home to fellow strugglers Torquay United on 18th March, it looked as if the Tyneside club would face an uphill battle to prevent an immediate return to regional football, having been promoted last season as National League North winners. They were in 21st position, two points adrift of safety albeit at the time they had at least two games in hand on the teams around them. Since this result, the club has won six consecutive league games which has propelled them into mid-table, well clear of the relegation scrap, and have their first-ever FA Trophy final to look forward to next month. So what has changed and how have the club been able to turn their season around?
FA Trophy momentum
It is a common misconception that cup competitions are viewed as an unwelcome distraction and losing early in them can be advantageous due to the reduction in the number of fixtures a team has to play, thus theoretically keeping players fitter for league games. Prior to the start of their FA Trophy campaign, Gateshead had been in the relegation zone for the majority of the season and as such could have prioritised league matches, however, the club pulled off a couple of impressive results, namely dismantling Gloucester City 5-1 in the third round and then being former Premier League club Oldham Athletic in the following round. A win at Banbury United in the fifth round was then followed by penalty shootout wins against Farsley Celtic and Barnet, which have secured the Tynesiders a spot at the Wembley showpiece against FC Halifax Town.
It goes without saying that any win, no matter who it was against or which competition it was in, brings more confidence to teams and these results were likely crucial in giving the Heed players belief that they can compete well in the National League. Due to this, Gateshead’s exploits show that clubs can achieve their league aims and objectives whilst also performing well in cup competitions such as the FA Cup and FA Trophy, even if they don’t have the depth in squad or resources in comparison to competitors benefitting from more financial backing.
Trusting Williamson
Player-manager Mike Williamson has been in charge of Gateshead since the summer of 2019 when the club was demoted to the National League North due to financial irregularities. The centre-back is familiar with the area having earlier spent six years at Newcastle United before first joining Gateshead initially as a player a year before he was appointed manager, and as a result, has been able to build a strong connection with supporters that meant fans have been more patient whenever the team have hit poor form during his tenure.
Williamson’s first two seasons were impacted by the COVID-19 pandemic, however, in his first 46-game season in charge of the club, they won the National League North title, thus returning to the fifth tier of English football after a three-year absence. However, the Heed lost star striker Macauley Langstaff to Notts County in the summer of 2022 and a poor start to the season left them in the relegation zone for most of the first 66% of the campaign. Usually, clubs who are in this position look to change their manager in an attempt to immediately improve on-pitch results, however, Gateshead has remained loyal to Williamson, most likely due to his local connections and the success he achieved in 2021-22. The recent results have meant that the club sticking with Williamson has been a masterstroke, and his side has also won plaudits for playing exciting, attacking football in recent weeks, recording big wins such as beating Yeovil 4-0 at the Gateshead International Stadium and putting five past play-off hopefuls Eastleigh.
Defensive record and the loan market
As well as being prolific scorers during their winning run, the Heed have also become more defensively resolute over the past four weeks as goalkeeper Filip Marschall kept four consecutive clean sheets. The 19-year-old on loan from Aston Villa returned to the club for a second spell in January having featured in the previous season’s title-winning side and has received acclaim from fans and journalists for his recent performances, even more impressive when he only began playing as a goalkeeper in 2017. Another young player signed on loan, Ethan Pye from Stockport County, has also been key to Gateshead’s success in recent weeks, having won the club’s Player of the Month award for February and March. Marschall and Pye’s form has shown that Williamson and his staff are shrewd operators when it comes to finding promising young players in the loan market, which makes them valuable assets for Gateshead to have in order to be a competitive National League team.
What next?
The ongoing run of consecutive wins has in all likelihood ensured that Gateshead will remain in the top division of non-league football next season, so their focus is most likely to be on next month’s FA Trophy final against FC Halifax Town. Despite this, it is still important that they continue to perform well in the league not only to earn more prize money from finishing higher in the table but also to maintain recent confidence in the build-up to the date at Wembley. A first ever FA Trophy title would mean that this season would go down as one of the most successful in Gateshead’s recent history, and with their effective use of the loan market, Mike Williamson’s men could be a force to be reckoned with next season.
References:
https://www.bbc.co.uk/sport/football/65073209
https://gateshead-fc.com/ethan-pye-named-as-march-player-of-the-month/
https://theathletic.com/3181071/2022/03/15/filip-marschall-rapid-rise-goalkeeper-who-was-defender-aged-13/
